Setsugekka
by Moonlight M3lody
Summary: They said there would be a woman behind every great man's back. As he watched his castle crumbled along with the last bit of his power, there were three women in Jowy Atreides' mind. One of them he killed with his own hands.


A/N: All haikus are Issa's, with translations provided by David Gould. Setsugekka is, in short, Japanese concept of beauty consisting of flower, moon, and snow. Was about to include the actual Japanese characters, but too much inline doesn't look good on the page.

They said there would be a woman behind every great man's back. As he watched his castle crumbled along with the last bit of his power, there were three women in Jowy Atreides' mind. One of them he killed with his own hands.

* * *

_wildflowers-_

_all we say or speak about_

_is autumn wind_

The first time he saw her was the first time he discovered a crush. The way her brown fringes fell on her face, and how she would smile so brilliantly... In his fantasy she was as delicate as flower, like those princess in books her mother used to read for him. Only she wasn't. He watched her storming into a brewing fight where the snobbish townies were bullying a boy his age. She stood up against the boys, so fierce that her appearance summoned fear from her enemies. They ran away, yelling things that could only be interpreted as cowardly threats.

In the moments that followed Jowy found himself a sister. They never knew who was actually older than who due to Nanami and Riou's fuzzy birth records, but choosing Nanami as their 'big sis' was a no-brainer. She took the role rather seriously, and since then continue to give their tormentors big dose of traumatic experience. No one could mess with Nanami's brothers and left unscathed. Jowy and Riou, both proud and ashamed, did their best under Genkaku's tutelage in hope to one day protect Nanami in return.

As fate would like him, he watched her died. He watched as life drained away from her face, her rose-colored lips gradually paled. Her smile, one last smile, waning as she locked her eyes on her two dear brothers. He saw Riou's face and for the first time wondering whether he had chosen the right path.

Nanami, their sister who liked wind and stars and the color of sunset, who delivered the best punches he ever had the misfortune of getting, who was livelier than Riou and him combined, was lying dead on the cold stone of Matilda castle.

He never did say sorry.

_the god of death_

_has passed me over..._

_autumn dusk_

* * *

_the first snow_

_softly, softly clings..._

_side lock of hair_

For someone he barely met for a week, Major Annabelle of Muse made such an impact to his psyche. Days rarely went by without her haunting one of his dreams, if he ever made it to sleep. Her cold, calculating eyes watched her wherever he went, alternating with her mother's vacant smile. She was his first innocent sacrifice. His first kill who wasn't an enemy warrior. She was his personal point of no return.

She was calm even when she knew about her inevitable death. The shock on her face as she pulled the dagger out of her stomach wasn't because of his treachery to Muse and The City-States (she had seen it coming, Jowy thought bitterly) but instead, because he betrayed Riou and Nanami. The only reason she trusted him was because she thought his loyalty would forever be with his friends. In a sense, she was right, but there was price to pay for everything.

Every victory came with a cost, right?

Fate, oh, how fate toyed with him! It was supposed to end right there and then. They would return to Highland and live somewhere war wouldn't be able to touch. Several months later and Riou was the leader of opposing force while he tried his best not to be decapitated by the mad prince.

Annabelle was still in his mind, mocking him for every actions.

_in first snow_

_last night's pine torch_

_remnant_

* * *

_s__u__mmer night-_

_the moon by the river_

_just a sliver_

Jillia Blight was an extraordinary girl. Meeting her had marked the beginning and end of his childhood. How messed up was their world that a girl just turning sixteen must endure such life? Every now and then the conversation they had that night after Luca's death popped to the surface. Nothing else could picture the phrase 'silk hiding steel' better than her.

She put up with him, playing in the political game so gracefully no one would suspect. It was easy to forget her, a shy princess held hostage by the evil king. She was just a moon, a reflection for days went by. A light eclipsed. Not that he would mind. Quite the contrary, it was exactly what he needed.

He wished they could spend more time talking simply to get to know each other rather than reminding themselves of the ongoing chaos. If he could have his life any other way, he would had taken Pilika and Jillia somewhere they could enjoy their lives and be happy. In that parallel world Jillia would never have looked at him with pity, praying for two teens on their way to execution. She would never have to feign ignorance to his actions. She would never have to watch her kingdom fall. He would never have to close his heart.

When she looked at him the day he sent her off to Harmonia, he thought he saw the little girl from the past, along with shreds of innocence they used to have. Like everything else, it was gone.

_hazy moon in the pine-_

_passing through_

_passing through_

* * *

They said there would be a woman behind every great man's back. As he watched his castle crumbled along with the last bit of his power, there were three women in Jowy Atreides' mind.

He was going to join two of them soon, hoping that at least one would be able to continue living. At that, he smiled.


End file.
